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International Traveler: Souvenirs

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The United States restricts or prohibits the entry of many agricultural products,

which can carry foreign pests and diseases that harm American agriculture and our

environment. Help us keep American agriculture healthy by following the guidance

on this page about products you may want to bring into the United States.

Travelers entering the United States must declare

all agricultural or wildlife products.

Travelers entering the United States must declare all agricultural or wildlife products

to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. You must also tell them if you visited

a farm or were in contact with animals before traveling to the United States.

U.S. agricultural inspectors will examine your items to be sure they meet entry

requirements and do not harbor harmful foreign pests or diseases. U.S. inspectors

have the authority to make a final determination about whether your products can

enter the country. We recommend that you keep receipts and original packaging of

agricultural products as proof of their country of origin.

As long as you declare all of the agricultural products you are bringing

with you, you will not face any penalties—even if an inspector determines

that they cannot enter the country.
Souvenirs You CAN and CANNOT Bring Back to the

United States

Souvenirs (driftwood, handicrafts, palm fronds, rocks, beach sand, peat and seashells)

Please think carefully when buying/collecting souvenirs abroad: just because an item

is for sale or you found it does not mean that you can legally bring it home to the

United States. When purchasing souvenirs, consider where that item might have

come from. Permits may be required to lawfully bring wildlife or plants, including

parts and crafted products, into the United States. Even if a permit isn’t required,

you may not be able to demonstrate that the item can lawfully enter the United

States if you cannot provide documentation confirming the species of wildlife or

plant.  Be sure to declare all such products at entry: by making informed choices,

you can avoid having your souvenir items confiscated upon returning home.

Driftwood

Travelers may enter with driftwood—wood that was naturally weathered by

saltwater to the degree that no pest risk exists—that is free of soil or other organic

material.  Driftwood must be declared and is subject to inspection at entry.

Grapevine Wreaths and Baskets

Handicraft items such as wreaths and baskets woven from grapevines (Vitis) from

any country may enter only if the inspector at the port of entry determines that all of

the vines are completely dried, dead and incapable of propagation.  If found to be

otherwise, the products will be seized and destroyed.

Handicrafts Made in China that Contain Plant/Wooden parts

Handicraft-type items made in China—whether purchased in China or in another

country—that contain wood or other plant parts may present a pest risk.  Invasive

wood-boring forest pests can emerge from such products long after purchase. 

Crafts made with natural materials like corn, wheat, rice, straw, grasses, sticks with

bark, or bamboo also may be contaminated with invasive insects and plant diseases,

or may contain prohibited plant parts such as seeds.
All such handicrafts made in China must be declared and presented for inspection

upon entry.  Learn more (89.97 KB) about guidelines regarding the importation of

handicrafts.

For further questions, or to determine if you will need a permit and/or other

documents to import a handicraft from China, please contact USDA’s Plant Import

Information Line at 877-770-5990 (toll-free) or by email at

plantproducts.permits@aphis.usda.gov.

Palm Fronds and Articles Crafted from Palm Fronds

The entry of palm fronds and articles made from palm fronds into the United States

is regulated to prevent the entry of the red palm mite. Travelers may enter the

United States with single palm fronds that are completely dried or

processed—subject to inspection.

Fresh, green, and/or pliable palm fronds are prohibited entry.  Craft items

made of palm fronds, such as baskets, bracelets, fans, hats, headband, napkin rings,

and placements are prohibited entry unless the item was processed (bleached,

dyed, painted, or shellacked) beyond just crafting/weaving.

Date Palm Fronds

Passengers may enter the United States with dried (not green) date palm fronds and

products made from dried date palm fronds from any country except Algeria or

Morocco, subject to inspection.  All date palm fronds (Phoenix spp.) and

products made from date palm fronds originating in Algeria or Morocco are

prohibited entry.

For further information, please contact USDA’s Plant Import Information Line at 877-

770-5990 (toll-free) or by email at plantproducts.permits@aphis.usda.gov

Rocks/Stones, Beach Sand, and Irish Peat

Travelers entering with souvenirs such as rocks and stones, beach sand, or Irish peat

must declare and present items for inspection at entry.  The inspector will examine

the items to determine if they are entirely free of soil or other organic matter (such

as algae) and make a determination as to whether the items are enterable. 

Seashells
Although many varieties of seashells collected from saltwater beaches are enterable

without restriction, certain countries limit the collection, sale, and export of shells

and shell products. The importation or exportation of certain species of seashells

(e.g., queen conch and nautilus) from some countries are restricted under

international agreements.  For more information on the status of seashells, coral,

and a wide variety of other items you may find offered for sale in gift shops

overseas, please review the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife

Service (FWS) import information.

USDA does restrict/regulate the entry of land snails/shells and many species of

freshwater snails/shells, because many foreign snail species are considered to be

invasive pests that could cause harm to U.S. agriculture and the environment.

Need Help?

If you can't find your commodity listed above, browse the Agricultural Import

Requirements Database.

If you still have questions about a particular plant or plant products (fruits,

vegetables, plant parts, seeds, soil, or souvenirs made from wood or plants), contact

us.

Phone: 877-770-5990 (toll-free)

Email: plantproducts.permits@usda.gov